Shloka 22
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement
“राजन! तुम उन्हीं ब्राह्मणोंको अपने मन्त्री बनाओ, जो विद्यामें प्रवीण, विनयशील, कुलीन, धर्म और अर्थमें कुशल तथा सरल स्वभाववाले हों। उन्हींके साथ तुम गूढ़ विषयपर विचार करो; किंतु अधिक लोगोंको साथ लेकर देरतक मन्त्रणा नहीं करनी चाहिये ।।
rājan! tvaṃ tān eva brāhmaṇān svamantriṇaḥ kuru ye vidyāyāṃ pravīṇā vinayaśīlāḥ kulīnā dharmārthakuśalāḥ saralāḥ svabhāvena ca syuḥ | taiḥ saha gūḍhaviṣaye mantraṇāṃ kuryāḥ; bahubhiḥ saha tu dīrghakālaṃ mantraṇā na kartavyā || samastair api ca vyastair vyapadeśena kenacit | susaṃvṛtaṃ mantragṛhaṃ sthalaṃ cāruhya mantrayeḥ ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：“大王啊，只当任用那些婆罗门为大臣：学识渊博，行止有礼，出身高贵，通晓达摩与阿尔塔（正法与治国之术），且性情坦直。机密之事，当与此等人商议；却不可聚众而久议。无论与群臣尽集，或仅与一二人相商，都可借故将他们引至守卫严密的议事密室——或至一处僻静的旷地——在那里筹议隐秘之务。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should choose ministers of learning, humility, good reputation, and competence in both dharma (ethical duty) and artha (practical governance), and should conduct confidential deliberations discreetly—avoiding long, crowded consultations that risk leakage and confusion.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a set of royal instructions: the king is advised on how to appoint suitable Brahmin ministers and how to manage secret policy discussions—either with the full council or a small subset—by meeting in a secured chamber or secluded place under a harmless pretext.